October 7, 1998

Letter endorses Ho-Chunk claim to Badger

MERRIMAC -- More than 130 individuals and organizations
from around the state and across the U.S. have co-signed a letter
supporting the Ho-Chunk Nation's interest in lands now occupied by
the closing Badger Army Ammunition Plant in south-central Wisconsin.
All have endorsed a letter which was sent today to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, U.S. Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, and the US Dept
of the Interior.

"This expression of broad support for the Nation is timely given
Congressman Scott Klug's (R-Wis.) recent push for special legislation
to determine Badger Army Ammunition Plant reuse - a reuse plan that
excludes the Ho-Chunk Nation," said Laura Olah, Executive Director
of Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger, the organization that circulated
the letter.

Through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ho-Chunk Nation has made
a formal request to GSA that approximately 3,050 acres of property
at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant be transferred in trust for the
benefit of the Nation. The BAAP land has very important historic and
cultural significance to the Ho-Chunk people. The land lies within
the heart of Ho-Chunk's aboriginal territory, including villages located
within present-day Sauk County, and in particular, along the Wisconsin
River, where the Badger Army Ammunition Plant is located.

"Contrary to rumors, if land at Badger is conveyed to the Nation,
it will not be used for a casino," said William Boulware, attorney
for the Ho-Chunk. "The Nation is limited to the uses it has proposed
to the Department of Interior (BIA). The current application asks
for only 3 buildings: the hospital, the fire station, and the Administration
Building -- only 3 of 1,400 buildings. The focus of the Nations proposal
is restoration of indigenous grassland species to be used as forage
for their bison project."

The Nation's primary interests are: (1) the protection of the cultural,
historic, archeological and natural resources located on the property,
(2) the restoration of prairie, native plants and animals, (3) the
restoration, remediation and continued protection of the environment,
both the human environment and the natural ecological environment.
The preservation of the history of the Ho-Chunk Nation and successor
communities of the great Sauk Prairie Land is fundamentally important.
It preserves the past while preparing the future.

Original proposals by the Nation included housing and manufacturing;
the Nitric Acid plant and machine shop, for example, were in their
original application. The Nation responded to community concerns in
this regard and formally withdrew all these uses several months ago.

"The Ho-Chunk Nation's goals and objectives are consistent with
the uses envisioned at the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant. The
goals of this community are achieved with the involvement, cooperation
and resources of all interested parties. The land use is the key to
this equation," Olah added. "The Nation, like the voices of the public
and WDNR, has stated that its desired use and objectives are to aid
in cleaning-up the environment, ensuring a clean green space for people
and wildlife. Eco-tourism, restoration of prairie, habitat and wildlife,
and the preservation and protection of traditional cultural properties
are invaluable to the history of this land and its people."

Through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Ho-Chunk Nation has made a
formal request to GSA that approximately 3050 acres of property at
the Badger Army Ammunition Plant be transferred in trust for the benefit
of the Nation. The BAAP land has very important historic and cultural
significance to the Ho-Chunk people. The land lies within the heart
of Ho-Chunk's aboriginal territory, including villages located within
present-day Sauk County, and in particular, along the Wisconsin River,
where the Badger Army Ammunition Plant is located.

The Nation's primary interests are: (1) the protection of the cultural,
historic, archeological and natural resources located on the property,
(2) the restoration of prairie, native plants and animals, (3) the
restoration, remediation and continued protection of the environment,
both the human environment and the natural ecological environment.
The preservation of the history of the Ho-Chunk Nation and successor
communities of the great Sauk Prairie Land is fundamentally important.
It preserves the past while preparing the future.

Land is permanent and stable, a source of spiritual origins and
sustaining belief. Land is an important social institution, one intimately
connected to the environment, resource management, heritage preservation
and economic development. Through community operation and integrated
land use planning, it is possible to preserve, conserve and protect
the Natural Resources of this State. It is possible through a collaborative
effort, joint support and mutual assistance to restore the Sauk Prairie.
With the efforts of community, farmers, environmentalists, sports-persons,
conservation groups, historians and local and tribal government, the
restoration, remediation and protection of the environment, history,
and cultural resources can be achieved.

The Ho-Chunk Nations goals and objectives are consistent with the
uses envisioned at the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant. The goals
of this community are achieved with the involvement, cooperation and
resources of all interested parties. The land use is the key to this
equation. Ho-Chunk, like the voices of the public and WDNR, has stated
that its desired use and objectives are to aid in cleaning-up the
environment, ensuring a clean green space for people and wildlife.
Eco-tourism, restoration of prairie, habitat and wildlife, and the
preservation and protection of traditional cultural properties are
invaluable to the history of this land and its people. The protection
of and preservation of earthwork, mounds, cultural sites, including
the re-establishing native plant and animals like Bison, as a native
species to the prairie, are essential to the revitalization of Ho-Chunk
traditional practices and culture. These desired objectives are consistent
with the prairie restoration desired by the area people. It does not
conflict with, but complements, the land use practices of the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources and surrounding neighbors.

Our support is offered and in return, we receive support. This is
what being a good neighbor is all about. The Ho-Chunk Nation is committed
to protect and enhance natural resources. The Ho-Chunk Nation has
undertaken a prairie restoration and bison project to enhance the
traditional beliefs of the Tribe. The Nation operates resource management
programs to "acquire, manage, develop and enhance tribal resources"
including "land, water, fish and wildlife, range, forestry, irrigation,
and other programs designed to manage, develop and enhance tribal
resources." The BAAP facility is located on lands that historically
were prairie and woodlands. Since the 1960's, portions of the BAAP
lands have been the subjects of wildlife restoration projects. The
Nation wishes to expand its prairie and bison projects. The Nation's
proposed use of the property is consistent with the interests expressed
by many members of the local communities and environmental groups,
and would benefit those communities. For all of these reasons, we
support the Ho-Chunk Nations request that the Department of the Interior
seek to acquire the BAAP in trust for the benefit of the Nation.